Yankees starter Luis Severino out for season due to left oblique strain
Luis Severino's season and possibly his New York Yankees career is over.
The Yankees announced Saturday that they placed Severino on the 15-day injured list due to a left upper-body injury. Hours later, manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Severino's injury is a season-ending high-grade left oblique injury.
Right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move. He is 4-5 with a 4.08 ERA in 44 relief appearances this season.
On Friday, Severino left the Yankees' 8-2 loss at home against the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the fifth inning. After he gave up a leadoff single to Brice Turang, Severino's discomfort was clear. Grimacing, he dropped his glove and grabbed his left side before leaving the field.
An emotional Severino spoke with reporters after the game and described his condition.
"I just feel like somebody shot me. It's a deep, sharp pain," he said while fighting tears when asked what he thought the injury might be.
An emotional Luis Severino describes the pain he felt on the mound: "I feel like somebody shot me." pic.twitter.com/7XCvgPqnfF
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) September 9, 2023
There's an element of uncertainty surrounding Severino's future that seems compounded now — the 29-year-old becomes a free agent after this season — and this injury is the latest hurdle in a difficult stretch over the past few years.
He made his season debut in mid-May after recovering from a lat strain that kept him sidelined in spring training. That injury also hampered him last season.
Declaring himself MLB's "worst pitcher" in July, Severino seemed to be turning a corner leading up to Friday. He was pitching well before his early exit, aside from a game-tying home run from Willy Adames in the fourth inning. Including his most recent performance, he has recorded a 6.65 ERA through 89 1/3 innings his season.
"I've been getting better. I was not expecting this," Severino said after the game.
His four-year, $40 million contract extension came in 2019. He went on a tear in the previous two years, with a 33-14 record, 3.18 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Those numbers earned him American League All-Star honors in 2017 and 2018.
“There’s a lot at stake for him,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday. “He’s been through a lot over these last several years [with] injuries, and when he has pitched, he’s pitched really well. This year, when he came back, he really had an extended struggle when he’s been healthy for the first time in his career."
Boone acknowledged Severino's improvement in "the last four weeks or so." Now, he's finished for the year.
